Of this total, urban permanent residents numbered 792.98 million, accounting for 57.35 percent of the total population, which means the residents of rural areas comprise almost half of the country's population.

The statistics also showed that the annual per capita income in rural areas was about 2,300 yuan ($366) in 2016, and the population living below the poverty line was estimated to be 43.35 million.

Rewarding trip

Wang's trip to the village of Jinlong was part of his project called Beyond the City, which he initiated and started running after he returned to China in the summer of 2017.

The project, which went online on Nov 3, 2017, aims to educate young Chinese students about the country's rural areas by taking them to visit remote villages.

And, between Jan 26 and Feb 11, 41 students－27 city students from around the country and 14 students sponsored by the Guangzhou Yuren Foundation－visited villages in Xiangxi, in the western part of Hunan province, including the village of Jinlong as part of the program.